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Exodus 8:25–27
“Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, ‘Go, sacrifice to your God within the land’ ” (v. 25).
In the first meeting of Moses and Aaron with Pharaoh, they told the king that the Lord wanted the Israelites to travel into the wilderness a three days’ journey to worship Him (Ex. 5:1–3). That explains why, in today’s passage, Pharaoh tells Moses and Aaron to go and sacrifice to God in the land of Egypt (8:25). The suffering under the plague of flies has been so great that the pharaoh is now willing to grant the Israelites’ request so that his country can experience relief from the hand of the Lord.
Of course, Pharaoh does not actually offer to give the Israelites what the Lord has asked of them. Instead, he is trying to bargain with Moses and Aaron and, through them, to bargain with God. Those who know the Lord, however, know that He is not One with whom we can make a deal. So Moses tells Pharaoh that “it would not be right to do so,” adding that the sacrifices of Israel are abominable to the Egyptians and that the Egyptians will stone the Israelites if they offer the sacrifices within the land of Egypt and not in the wilderness (v. 26). This refers to the Egyptians’ disdain for the Israelites because the Israelites have a history of being shepherds and include sheep in their sacrificial worship (see Gen. 46:33–34). Moses then tells Pharaoh that they must follow the Lord’s explicit instruction and worship only in the wilderness after a three days’ journey (Ex. 8:27).
Moses’ refusal to budge on the matter of when and where to worship tells us something about the importance of following the Lord’s directions when it comes to our corporate gatherings to praise His name. Throughout church history, it has been all too common for Christians to think that we are free to worship according to our own whims and can tailor worship to what is expedient, with little regard for what God tells us is pleasing to Him. Moses certainly could have chosen to follow this route and obey Pharaoh’s suggestion that the Israelites worship within the boundaries of Egypt, but he did not. He knew that the Lord determines how He is to be worshiped, and he would not give in to Pharaoh. Admittedly, it can be difficult at times to apply what the Lord has said about worship to our own setting, but the example of Moses shows us that we should think carefully about worship and strive to follow His instructions and not our own preferences. As some have found throughout history, to pay no regard to what the Lord has revealed in worship can be deadly (see Lev. 10:1–3).
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
It is tempting to worship according to what we consider expedient or what we think will attract people to the church. We should not do this, however, but should strive to do only what pleases God in our corporate gatherings of praise. Let us encourage our church leaders to think carefully about worship and to seek biblical warrant for what we do when we gather.
For Further Study
- Exodus 25:1–9
- Psalm 96
- John 4:24
- Hebrews 9:1